North Face Beeline 900

Average Rating4.14 / 5 (7 reviews)

The rating here is definitely price sensitive. I recently bought a new bag at outlet closeout for $90. The bag uses what I think is the best lightweight sleeping bag fabric, very lightly, or un, calendared Pertex Quantum --and so doesn't create that clammy feel when temperatures rise--and 900 fill down in a cozy 19 oz (med) package whose most serious compromise is the absence of a zipper. Of course it packs down very small, and at black hole densities occupies less space than a micro-filbert. Well, maybe that last is not too useful, but it does pack very small.

Bought this for an un-resupplied JMT trip. It always kept me warm and packs down to a large grapefruit. Also used it on a May trans-Sierra ski trip at 12,000 ft. camps-no worries. I usually have lt.wt. thermals, Montbell UL down inner jacket and down hood or balaclava with we which will take it well below freezing. One of the best tools in my quiver.

I bought this bag at a very good price, since it was the previous years model. When it arrived I couldn't help but rip it from the box and jump into it immediately! And when I said jump I pretty much ment it! While I don't consider myself a big guy I must have broad shoulders, I am 5'11 185lbs and had just a little bit of trouble getting it past my shoulders, however once inside all was good! The hood seals well and I actually like the fairly tight cut, especially in the legs. There is still a little bit of room left to wear an insulating layer to bed but not much else. I have not had this in the field yet to verify the rating but I will update the review with any field experience. This bag would have received a higher rating out of the gate but the second time I crawled into it and pulled the hood tight the shock cord came loose requiring me to A.) send it back to TNF for repair without even so much as one night in the field or B.) fish it through and throw a few hand stitches in it, which I did.

Update:My size regular weighs 18.90 oz. just under the 1 lb 3oz spec, You think if I call I could get TNF to send me the my .01 oz of 900 down thats missing ? :) All joking aside I recently had this bag on the AT in NJ and it performed flawlessly. The first night it was below freezing, and pretty windy most of the night I slept in Smartwool Midweights and was fine until the middle of the night when I had to and some midweight fleece top and bottoms, again the temp was below the rating and I was under a tarp without a bivy. The second night there was no wind and it was around 20-25 degrees at its coldest. I slept well the first half of the night in just my SmartWools, when it was in the 30s but after the temp dropped again I need to add my fleece. With the addition of some good insulation layers this bag should suit me for a 3 season bag (spring, winter, fall).

This is a pretty nice bag. Very lightweight. It packs down to the size of a grapefruit. It holds up to it's rating if you are a warm sleeper. I was very toasty on Mt. Sterling down to approx. 20 degrees with lightweight thermals and wool socks inside a tent. Material is comfy. It is a very slim bag so if you like to move around this is not the bag for you. I have broad shoulders and so the fit feels a bit claustophobic at first. The lack of a side zipper also makes the bag a bit awkward to get in and out of. Because of the lack of a side zipper it's also difficult to ventilate in warmer temps. It does have a zippered footbox vent which is a nice feature.

I used this bag because it was so light. However, because of the lack of a zipper (except at the foot box), the sleeping bag does not vent well. Some will love the bag, but I just couldn't sleep in it because I was so hot.

I guess I could have just used it for my cold-weather bag, but I wanted something more versitile.